Dive Brief:
- Supermarket employees working for grocers like Kroger, Leevers Supermarkets in Colorado and Dave’s Market in Cleveland may be able to receive daily paychecks through a partnership with DailyPay, according to a press release.
- The tech company said more than one in eight grocery store workers now has access to their money as they earn it, giving them a degree of financial control amid the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
- DailyPay has seen an uptick in business since the COVID-19 pandemic began as companies, including retailers, look to implement additional measures to help their workers feel safer and more secure.
Dive Insight:
With many households seeing lost wages, limited hours and layoffs amid the outbreak, financial security is top of mind for people who are still working.
As grocery store associates work the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic and face increased risk, immediate access to wages is one more way employers can show goodwill to their workers and offer an additional benefit at a time when they need the labor.
According to experts, however, pay and benefits for grocery workers right now are more than just a token of appreciation. They are necessary to support people at a time when they are working under heightened stress.
This initiative adds to the roster of other bonuses and pay increases retailers have given since COVID-19 hit. Kroger has also given $2 per hour hazard pay increases, while Walmart has said it will dole out $550 million in bonuses for its workers. Smaller retailers including Natural Grocers, Brookshire’s, Weis Markets, Lowe’s Foods and many others have offered similar raises and bonuses.
It’s unclear if the partnerships between grocers and DailyPay will continue after the pandemic, but Kroger has been using the platform since at least year, according to a CNBC report. As more services become available on-demand and in real-time, the traditional two-week pay period may begin to seem archaic as employees come to expect wages more quickly.
